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I. CARLSON AEROPLANE APPLICATION FILED our 27,

Patented Feb. 15,1921.

Z SHELlS SHEEI !N Vli/V 7 0R. Arch] 624764471 I. CARLSON.

AEROPLANE,

APPLICATION FILED 0cr.27, 1919.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOI? ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVAB CABLSON, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF orm-rmo T0 GERALD CAHILL, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-THIRD TO Ion HENRY LYNCH, OF LAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1921.

Application filed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 388,559.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, IVAR CABLSON, a native of Sweden residing at Leominster in the county of Worcester and State of assachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to an improvement in flying-machines and more articularly to an improvement in that orm of a flying-machine which is driven by an engine and supported by the pressure of the air upon the under side of plane or curved surfaces known as aeroplanes or aerocurves. Such flying-machines are now generally known as aeroplanes or airplanes.

In the usual construction of aeroplanes it is necessary to glide along the ground in order to arise at an acute angle from the ground, thereby requiring a comparatively large area of ground for the aeroplane to rise from, and also to alight on, as the can not rise at right angles to the groun neither can they alight at right angles to the ground, with safety; also it, is impossible for such aeroplane to hover in the air or stay still in the air over any given point on the ground as it is absolutely necessary for such aeroplanes to move forward in order to sustain themselves in the air. Such aeroplanes or airplanes are now usually constructed in two forms, one form having two aerocurves or planes one above the other and known as a biplane, and the other having one plane and known as a monoplane. My invention is applied to that form of an aeroplane known as a monoplane, but may be adapted to any form of an aeroplane.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of an aeroplane, whereby the aeroplane is provided with means for lifting the aeroplane vertically upward from the ground and also by the use of said means to hold the aeroplane stationary in the air, when required.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of an aeroplane, whereby the aero lane has self contained means for lifting itself vertically upward or at right angles to the ground, said. means being capable of holding the aeroplane stationary in the air so that the aeroplane can hover or overhang any given point on the ground or over other flying machines, also said means being capable of controlling the forward speed of the aeroplane from zero to the maximum speed of the aeroplane.

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved aeroplane, with the plane in section.

F g. 2 is a front end view of the aeroplane.

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the plane and gas tank removed, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the transmission.

In the drawings 5 indicates the fascia 6 the plane, 7 the rudder, 8 the engin 9 t tractor shaft on which is a tractor hglix 10 the propeller shaft on which is a pro ler helix, and 11 the transmission, all of which constitute the principal elements of my improved aeroplane.

The fuselage 5 consists of a suitable frame 12 supporting the engine 8, wheels 13. 13, bearings 14. 14, struts 15. 15, which connect the fuselage with the plane structure, operators seat 16 and the frame 12 terminates in a rear end 17.

The plane 6 is concavo-convex in cross section or looking at the end, as shown in Fig. 2, and forms a concaved trough 18 on its underside and which extends the length of the fuselage. usual way of fabric 19 stretched over ribs 20. 20 which in turn are secured to the struts 15. 15 in any well known way.

The rudder 7 consists of a vertical plane 21 and a horizontal plane 22 secured to a stem 23 which in turn is connected to a universal joint 24 on the rear end 17 of the frame 12. A twin bell-crank lever 25 having vertical and horizontal arms and an operating lever 26 is secured to the frame in front of the operators seat 16, a universal joint 27. Wires 28. 28 an 29. 29 operatively connect the vertical and horizontal planes of the rudder with the vertical and horizontal arms of the bell-crank lever 25, whereby moving of the operating lever 26 will move the rudder in any direction desired.

The engine 8 may be any well known form of a gas engine supplied with fuel by a pipe 30 from an overhead fuel tank 31. A gear 32 on the crank shaft of the engine meshes It is constructed in theby transmitting power from the engine to the tractor shaft 9. The engine is operated in the usual way not shown, from the operators seat- 16.

The tractor shaft 9v is rotatably supported in the bearings 14. 14 and has fixed on its forward end a tractor helix 34 and the tractor shaft 9 revolves preferably to the right, as indicated by the arrow 35 in Fig. 1.

The propeller shaft 10 revolves in bearings 14. 14 and has fixed on its rear end a propeller helix 36. Tnis propeller shaft vll) may" be revolved in opposite direct ons. When the aeroplane is rising upward the propeller'shaft 10 is revolving in an opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow 37, in Fig. 1, from the tractor shaft 9, and at the same speed as the tractor shaft 9.

The transmission 11 is placed intermediate and operatively connected to the tractor shaft 9 and the propeller shaft 10, and consists of a friction disk 38 rotatably mounted in bearings on the frame 12. A friction roller 39 is fixed to the inner end of the tractor shaft 9, and it is in frictional engagement with the face of the friction disk 38, at its periphery. The face of the friction roller 39 is formed into one-half 40 of a clutch and is recessed for the innerend of the propeller shaft 10, which has a groove 41 extending lengthwise of the shaft at its inner end portion. A friction roller 42 is splined in. the groove 41, to the propeller shaft 10, it is in frictional engagement with the face of the friction disk 38, and it revolves with. and has a longitudinal movement on the propeller shaft 10.. The face of the friction roller 42 is formed into one-half 43 of a clutch; it

has a grooved hub 44 to which is operatively connected a lever 45 pivoted at its lower end to the frame 12. A connecting rod 46 is pivotally secured at one end to the lever 45 and pivotally secured at its other end to a lever 47 secured to or forming part of a foot treadle 48, pivotally secured to the frame 12 in front of the operators seat 16.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the plane 6 is concaved in cross section forming a curved trough 18 which extends the length of the aeroplane or fuselage, and the aeroplane when moving forward in the air moves in the direction of the arrow 49 and when moving vertically upward, in the direction of the arrow 50.

When in use and it is desired to arise vertically upward, theoperator seats himself in the seat 16 and starts the engine 8 in the usual way. With the operative parts'of the transmission 11 in the position as shown in Fig. 4 both the tractor helix 84 and the pro-" peller helix 36 revolve at the same speed but in opposite directions and the direction of revolutions of the tractor and propeller he- 'lixes are such that each forces a blast of air toward the center portion ofthe aeroplane and against the concave surface or trough ,itthe aeroplane, vertically upward. The air blasts now being resisted by the plane 6 and coming together are forced downward and forming an air pack against the atmosphere also in conjunction with the first blasts of air against the plane, force the plane upward When the aeroplane has reached the desired height, the engine is reduced in speed to a point where the aeroplane ceases to rise and the aeroplanewmay he held stationary so as to hover over any gi'ven'point on the ground, or over other flying machines. lVhen it is desired to go ahead, the foot treadle 48 is operated, throughthelever 47, the rod 46 and the lever 45 to .move the friction roller 42 across the face of the friction disk 38.

The propeller helix 36'now gradually diminishes in speed until the friction roller 42 reaches the center of the disk, when it then,

gradually increases in speed .until the half 43 of the clutch engages with thehalf 40 of the clutch, thereby locking the tractor shaft 9 to the propeller shaft 10. The tractor. helix 84 and propeller helix 36 now revolve at the same speed and in the same direction'to move the aeroplane forward. The speed of the engine may now be increased to itsmaximum speed and as the tractor helix and the propeller helix are now revolving on the same plane or center line of the aeroplane,

in the same direction, and at the same speed,

the aeroplane is now traveling forward at its maximum speed. When it ,is desired to alight vertically on the ground or. other structure the above operations are reversed.

7 As my invention lies more particularly in the principle of operation whereby anaeroplane may be controlled so-as to arise vertically from the ground or other structure and to stay still or hover overany desired place in the air, it isevident that the details'of construction could be widely varied, to accomplish the same long desired result.

Having thus described my invention-1h claim as new .1. An aeroplane having. a longitudinal concavo-convex plane in cross section and- I extending practically the length of the aeroplane, a tractorhelix at one end of the plane, a propeller helix at the opposite end ofthe plane, means, for operating the tractor and propeller helixes to force blasts of air against the underside of'the concavo-convex plane, whereby the aeroplane may be made to rise vertically in the air.

2. An aeroplane having a straight concavo-convex plane in cross section and extending practically lengthwise of the aeroplane, a tractor helix at the forward end of the plane, a propeller helix at the rear end of the plane, means for operating the tractor and propeller helixes to force blasts of air against the underside of the plane, whereby the aeroplane may be made to rise vertically in the air, and whereby the aeroplane may be made to hover or stay still at any given place in the air and means for driving the aeroplane in a forward direction.

3. An aeroplane having a frame. a rudder having horizontal and vertical planes and pivotally secured to the rear end of the frame, a concavo-convex plane extending lengthwise of the frame and forming a concaved trough extending lengthwise of the frame, means for'securmg the plane to the frame, an engine supported by the frame, a tractor shaft rotata y supported in bearings and operatively connected to the engine, a tractor-helix on the tractor-shaft at the forward end of the plane, a propeller shaft rotatably supported in bearings, a propeller helix on the propeller shaft at the rear end of the plane, a variable speed transmission operatively connectin the tractor and propeller shafts, means or operating the rudder, and means for operating the variable 5 eed transmission, whereby the tractor he- 11x and the propeller helix may be operated to force blasts of air, from opposite directions, against the underside of the plane and then downwardly forming an air pack against the atmosphere, thereby forcing the aeroplane vertically upward, and the tractor and propeller helixes may be controlled so as to hold the aeroplane stationary in the air and to propel the aeroplane forward in the am 4. In an aeroplane, the combination of the following instrumentalities, a fuselage 5 in the form of a frame having a rear end, a concavo-convex plane 6 extending the length of the fuselage, means for securin the plane to the fuselage, a rudder 7 pivota y secured to the rear end of the frame and having vertical and horizontal planes, means for operating the rudder, an engine 8 supported on the fuselage 5, a tractor-shaft 9 operatively connected to the engine, and having a tractor helix 34 at the forward end of the plane a propeller shaft 10 having a propeller h ix 36 at the rear end of the plane, a variable speed and propeller reversing transmission 11 operatively connecting the tractor and propeller shafts 9 and 10, means for supplying fuel to the engine and means for operating the transmission, as shown and for the purpose, as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

IVAR CARLSON. 

